Gilgamesh: The Life of a Poem

"Wonderful. . . . Schmidt's argument for the poem as poetry, in the modern sense—concrete, unglazed, tough on the mind—is touching and persuasive. I read the book spellbound, in one sitting."—Joan Acocella, New Yorker

"Michael Schmidt's book is a lively and instructive read, full of insight and response that bring a new voice to the poem's reception."—A. R. George, author of The Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic

"[Schmidt's] freshly framed observations help renew one of the world's oldest surviving tales."—James Romm, Wall Street Journal

"If you have never read Gilgamesh before, Schmidt could be Virgil to your Dante, and if you have read it before, be prepared to let it be explicated in a new and lively way and to flow over your mind like quicksilver."—John Butler, Asian Review of Books